Thursday, February 02, 2017

Make space for grace in your life



“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” – Hebrews 4:15-16.
It’s hard trying to help someone who’s hell bent on doing it all by himself/herself.

Picture it, you want to help the person, and he/she goes, “I’ve got this, thank you” ; you try again to help in another situation, and they go, “I’ve got this, thanks for the offer.” Really, how do you help such persons? You try to offer your help, but they don’t make the space for it. It’s frustratingly difficult; especially when it’s apparent the person needs your help.

You know, some of us are like that with God; we don’t make space for grace. We sometimes seem so hell bent on doing it all by ourselves that we don’t make space for His grace. We so much trust in our hard work and strategizing, that we push grace to a corner. Although, we don’t verbalise it, we through what we do (or put better, what we fail to do) kind of say “Thanks, but no thanks” to God.

His grace is available, and sufficient
“And He said to me, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” – 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Indeed, God’s grace is available and sufficient to help you. I think we sometimes fail to realise that His grace does much more than giving us new birth (i.e. salvaging us from sin and eternal death); it does a lot more than that.

If you want to experience God’s best in your relationship with Him, you will have to learn to create space for His grace to help you. You don’t have to do it all by yourself, by your own strength, by your own hard work, by your own strategizing, no. His grace is available. Learn to trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

He says, “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What a beautiful invitation! An enticing promise is even attached to it! All it would cost to accept this rest that Christ offers here is to “come boldly to the throne of grace…” Grace offers rest from all fruitless toils in the bid to make things work…rest from labouring to please Him…rest from labouring to no avail in your business, academics, family, etc.

His Grace is no excuse for laziness or slackness
The availability and sufficiency of God’s grace is not an excuse to be lazy, slack or do shoddy job, by no means! Grace is a multiplier of what you put in. If you multiply zero (0) by 1000, what do you get? A big fat zero! And if you multiply a shoddy job by say 10000, what do you reckon would be the result? Grand-scale failure!

So, despite the truth that God’s grace is available and sufficient, we have to be diligent in whatever we do (Proverbs 10:4). Jesus had all the grace there is, yet He had the “custom” of going to the synagogue to read (Luke 4:16).

Folks, we do not need to toil alone, there’s an outstretched hand of help called grace that can help in time of need. Make space for grace in your life.

How have you learned to make space for grace in your walk with God? Do share with us.

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